Water (Kanye West song)

"Water"
Song by Kanye West featuring Ant Clemons
from the album Jesus Is King
ReleasedOctober 25, 2019 (2019-10-25)
RecordedApril 16, 2019 (2019-04-16)
Genre
Length2:48
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Kanye West
  • BoogzDaBeast

"Water" is a song by American vocalist and record producer Kanye West from his ninth studio album, Jesus Is King (2019). The song features a guest appearance by American singer Ant Clemons and additional vocals from gospel group the Sunday Service Choir. It was produced by West and BoogzDaBeast, while co-produced by Angel Lopez, Federico Vindver and Timbaland. The song came from a conversation between Clemons and West about Jesus. A psychedelic and gospel track, the song includes samples of "Blow Job", performed by Bruce Haack. It also interpolates "We're All Water", performed by Yoko Ono. The imagery of the lyrics represents the renewal of Baptism and West prays to Jesus in his verse. On April 16, 2019, the song was recorded and it was announced for release that same month.

Ultimately released as the seventh track on Jesus Is King in October 2019, "Water" received polarized reviews from music critics. They were generally divided in their feelings towards the vocals, with particular attention being drawn towards West's performance. Other critics expressed somewhat mixed assessments of the production, despite it being debated by them whether or not the song stands among the album's highlights. The song charted at number 37 on both the ARIA Singles Chart and Icelandic Singles Chart in 2019. On the US Billboard Hot 100, it debuted at number 51 and stood as one of Clemons' first two appearances on the chart. The song was performed live by West, Clemons and Ty Dolla Sign at the Coachella Festival on Easter 2019. The performance received positive reviews from critics, who praised West's involvement. West recorded a new verse of the song for him and Dr. Dre's collaborative remix album, Jesus Is King Part II.